The present invention relates to a personal channel display device in a TV program reservation system.
Regarding conventional individual TV program reservation systems, various systems exist. In one of them, questionnaires submitted from individual subscribers on TV programs are evaluated and evaluation results are processed by linear programming. In this way, an individual timing table for 24 hours is printed out and stored in a disk to be sent out to a TV set or VCR through a personal computer, so that a desired TV program is reserved (preselected). According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,851 by the same applicant, the VCR is remotely controlled immediately by telephone, or a program that will air some hours later is reserved. Further, in the German VPT system, a code number specified to an individual TV program is stored, and when it coincides with a reservation code sent from a TV station, recording is automatically started.
Each of said TV program reservation systems has its advantages and disadvantages, so that which of them will hold a dominant position in the future is left to the selection of a large majority of subscribers. But at any rate, if the subscriber reserves some programs in a day, various inconsistencies are caused between a reserved TV channel and a channel which the subscriber is now watching at his home (hereinafter called a manual mode). In a VCR, if the subscriber at home releases the reservation mode and switches to the manual channel mode, the reserved channel is not turned on at the reservation time, so that he may miss an important reserved program. In case of reservation of the VCR from a remote location by telephone, if the subscriber's family at home is watching on the VCR in the manual mode when the subscriber tries to make a reservation, it is impossible to accept his reservation, so that the system is not useful.
Further, the German VPT system seems to be useful for its automatic operation, but this operation is possible for only one TV station. The VCR of each individual can be controlled by a station, but if another program of any other station is controlled, there will be an infringement and a legal problem will occur. It is supposed that a method can be applied wherein a code number is specified to each TV station thereby to control the program of each station if the stations are not so many. But if the stations amount to 50, as in the USA, this method will cause private information control and adjustment among the stations to be impossible. Moreover, the previously mentioned problem between automatic and manual operation still remains.
It may be rather inconvenient if the program shifts from the manual mode to the reserved mode when the reservation time occurs. At that time, even if the user manually releases the reserved channel, the program in the manual mode is interrupted for at least about one minute.
Conventional TV channel reservation systems have the various disadvantages as described above. The present invention provides a new means to eliminate said disadvantages.